Lubricating device for overhead conveyors



Jan. 23, 1962 c. TASSILE 3,01

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR OVERHEADCONVEYORS Filed May 3, 1960 INVENTOR. 1538 051.90 TASSILE II 39 BY ATTORNEY nited States senses Patented Jan.23, 1562 3,017,955 LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR OVERHEAD CONVEYORS CelsoTassile, 66 Lauderdale Ave., Youngstown, Ohio; Rose Tassile, executrixof said Celso Tassile, deceased Filed May 3, 1960, Ser. No. 26,511 5Claims. (Cl. 184-15) This invention relates to an overhead conveyor andmore particularly to a lubricating device mounted on an overheadconveyor rail for individually lubricating conveyor wheels and axlesthat pass along the conveyor rail.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a lubricatingdevice for an overhead conveyor that is completely automatic inoperation and will operate to lubricate wheels and axles of conveyorunits without interfering with their travel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lubricatingdevice for an overhead conveyor which lubricating device is of simpledurable construction capable of operating for long periods of timewithout manual attention or adjustment.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of alubricating device for an overhead conveyor that may be easily mountedon an overhead conveyor rail at any desired point therealong and whichwill operate to lubricate the conveyor wheels and axle structures movingon said conveyor rail.

Many devices have heretofore been proposed to lubricate overheadconveyors and more particularly the wheel and axle assemblies which ridethe overhead rail of such conveyors. Such devices have generallycomprised means for spraying a liquid lubricant in the general directionof the wheels and axles of the conveyor and these devices have generallyrequired the presence of a housing and/or a drip pan to catch thelubricant that is not directed to the bearing surface of the conveyor.Such devices operate with only minor efficiency inasmuch as the actuallubrication of the bearing surfaces of the conveyor is left largely tochance. Such devices are often objectionable for the reason that thelubricant is sprayed on the conveyor wheels and arms and frequentlydrops therefrom onto the Work piece being conveyed which makes necessarya subsequent cleaning of the device and sometimes a refinishing thereof.These several disadvantages in overhead conveyor lubrication devices areovercome by the present invention which accurately engages andlubricates fittings on the wheel and axle constructions of the conveyoron which it is installed so that the lubricant is delivered directly tothe bearing surfaces and the conveyor itself is maintained in clean drycondition.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an overhead conveyor railshowing a lubricating device mounted thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of FIG- URE 1.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURES l and 2 in particular it willbe seen that an overhead conveyor rail of the I beam type has beenillustrated and is indicated by the numeral 10. The conveyor rail 10 issecured to an overhead support in a building by suitable means (notshown) as will be understood by those skilled in the art, and articlecarrying devices including depending arms, 11, 11 and wheels 12, 12 arepositioned in spaced relation on the rail 10 and are connected togetherby means (not shown) for movement along the rail 10 as will also beunderstood by those skilled in the art. The wheels 12, 12 are formed onaxles 13, 13 which are journalled in bearings 14, 14 formed on theuppermost ends of the arms 11, 11. Lubricant fittings 15, 15 areattached to the bearings 14, 14 so that lubricant introduced into thefittings 15, 15 will reach the point of contact between the bearings 14,14 and the axles 13, 13.

In order that lubricant may be delivered to the lubricant fittings 15,15 a lubricating device is disclosed which includes a base 16 which isclamped to the uppermost part of the rail 10 by a plurality of clamps17, 17. The upper surface of the base 16 carries two devices, the firstof which, located at the left in FIGURE 1, comprises a structure forstoring and delivering liquid lubricant. This structure includes areservoir 18 mounted in elevated relation to the base 16 by verticalsupports 15. A sighting gauge 20 is preferably mounted and incommunication with the reservoir 18 and a normally capped filler opening21 is provided so that the lubricant supply may be replenished; Y

An air and oil mixer 22 is mounted on and in communication with airpressure regulator 23. An air filter 24 is mounted on and incommunication with the air regulator 23. The air pressure regulator 23is supported on the base 16 by a pair of vertical support members 25,25. A tube 26 provides communication between the reservoir 18 and theair and oil mixer 22 and a tube 2.7 provides an air passageway betweenthe air filter Z4 and an air valve 28 which is mounted on the base 16.An air supply line 29 extends from the air valve 28 to a source ofcompressed air. A T fitting 30 is mounted on and communicates with thedelivery orifice of the air and oil mixer 22 and flexible hoses 31, 31extend from the T fitting 31 Another flexible hose 32 extends from theair valve 28.

The base 16 has a dovetailed slot 33 formed therein in which a lubricantdelivery device is adjustably mounted. The lubricant delivering devicecomprises a vertical body member 34 having a pair of oppositely disposedsidewardly extending bifurcated members 35, 35. A pair of verticallypositioned arms 36,36 are pivotally mounted inwardly of their ends onthe members 35,35 by pivots 3'7, 37 so that portions of the arms 36extend above the bifurcated members 35 and portions of the arms 36extend therebelow. The lowermost ends of the arms 36 have openings 38,38transversely therethrough and lubricant delivering fittings 39,39 arepositioned in said openings 38,38 and thereby secured to the arms 35,36.

The flexible hoses 31,31 heretofore referred to com municate with thelubricant delivering fittings 35,39 as may be best seen in the crosssection comprising the lower righthand portion of FIGURE 2 of thedrawings. It will be observed that the lubricant delivering fittings39,39 are adapted to register with the lubricating fittings 15,15heretofore described. Coil springs 40,40 extending between the upperends of the arms 36,36 and the lower portion of the body member 34. willnormally urge the arms 36,36 into the positions shown in broken lines inFIGURE 2 wherein the lubricant delivering fittings 39,39 are out ofengagement with the lubricant fittings 15,15.

Means for moving the uppermost ends of the arms 36,36 outwardly withrespect to the body member 34 are provided so that the arms 36,36 may bemoved into the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawingswhere the lubricant delivering fittings 39,39 are in engagement with thelubricant fittings 15,15. Said means comprises a pair of single actingair pistons having piston rods 41,41 mounted in a pair of oppositelydisposed cylinders 42,42 which in turn are secured to the opposite sidesof the uppermost portion of the vertical body member 34. The air pistonsare so positioned that the rods 41,41 engage the inner sides of the arms36,36.

By referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that theflexible hose 32 which communicates with the air valve 28 alsocommunicates with a T fitting 43 which permits extensions 32A, 32A toconvey air pressure to the air cylinders 42,42.

A block 44 is attached to the right end of the base 16 as seen in FIGURE1 and has an adjustment screw 45 positioned therethrough which acts as alimiting factor with respect to movement of the body member 34longitudinally of the dovetailed groove 33 in the base 16. By adjustingthe adjustment screw 45 the proper positioning of the a'r'ms'36 may beobtained with respect to a trigger action initiated by one of the wheels12 of the conveyor as hereafter described so that operation of the airvalve 28 responsive to such trigger action will move the arms 36,36 intothe positions shown in solid lines in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawingsand simultaneously direct oil through the filter 24, the pressureregulator 23, and the air and oil mixer 22 and thereby deliver a mixtureof oil and air through the flexible tubes 31,31 to the lubricatingdelivering fittings 39,39 and hence tothe bearings 14 as heretoforedescribed. The trigger action which is responsible for actuating thelubricating device disclosed herein comprises a trigger 46 movablymounted by a pivot pin 47 in an opening 43 in the base The upper end ofthe trigger 46 is pivotally connected to one end of an operating arm 49which extends along the upper surface of the base and is pivotallysecured to an operating lever 50 on the air valve 28. I n

It will thus be seen that when a conveyor unit including the arms 11,11and the wheels 12,12 moves along the rail and beneath the lubricatingdevice, one of the Wheels 12 will engage the inwardly turned end of thetrigger 46 and move it in an arcuate path based on the pivot pin 47.This position is conveyed to the operating lever 50 of the air valve 28to open the .same and permit air to flow from the supply line 29 throughthe tube 27 to the filter 24, pressure regulator 23 and air oil mixer 22as heretofore described and simultaneously air will flow from the airvalve 28 through the flexible tube 32 to the air cylinders 42,42 whichwill cause them to move the piston rods 41,41 outwardly to engage thearms 36,36 and move their lower ends inwardly into engagement with thelubricating fittings where the lubricant will be delivered. It will beseen that by adjusting the longitudinal position of the body member 34relative to the described action of the trigger 46, the arms 36,36 willalways move the lubricating delivering fittings 39,39 into registry withthe lubricating fittings 15 instantaneously and simultaneously deliverthe lubricant and that as the trigger member 46 is released from thewheels 12 the arms will swing outwardly again, all in such a shortsequence operation that the conveyor unit including the arms 11,11 andwheels 12,12 does not slow down or stop in its normal travel.

It will thus be seen that the lubricating device for overhead conveyorsdisclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention and havingthus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A lubricating device for an overhead conveyor having a rail and meansincluding wheels moving therealong, and comprising a base member anddevices for mounting said base member on said overhead rail, apparatusfor supplying a mixture of air and oil mounted on said member and afixed body member mounted on said base member, said body member having apair of oppositely disposed outwardly extending bifurcated members, apair of arms pivotally mounted one in each of said bifurcated members,spring means interconnecting said arms and said body member for normallyurging the lower ends of said arms outwardly and away from said basemember and air actuated means on said body member for moving the upperends of said arms outwardly with respect to said body member, lubricantdelivery fittings on the lower ends of said arms and flexible tubesconnecting said lubricant delivering fittings with said apparatussupplying said air and oil mixture, a trigger member mounted on saidbase for engagement with said conveyor wheels, an air valve on said basecontrolling an air supply source in communication with said air and oilmixture delivering apparatus and with said air actuated means on saidbody member, said air valve being responsive in operation to saidtrigger.

2. The lubricating device for an overhead conveyor set forth in claim 1and wherein said body member is mounted on said base for longitudinaladjustment relative thereto.

3. The lubricating device for an overhead conveyor set forth in claim 1and wherein said air actuated means comprises a pair of oppositelydisposed air piston and cylinder assemblies.

4. The lubricating set forth in claim 1 interconnect the upper ends ofsaid arms with member. 7 i

5. A lubricating device for an overhead conveyor having a rail anddevices including axles having wheels running on said rail, means tolubricate said axles and wheels comprising an air and oil mixer, an airsupply source, a valve normally closing said air supply source, astationary body member positioned above said rail, a pair of armspivoted to said body member inwardly of their ends and positionedvertically alongside the opposite sides thereof, lubricant deliveryfittings on the lower ends of said arms, springs interconnecting saidarms and said body member for urging said arms and lubricant deliveryfittings away from said rail and air piston and cylinders on said bodymember for moving said arms and said lubricating delivery fittingstoward said rail, a trigger arm on said lubricating device positioned inthe path of said wheels and linkage interconnecting said trigger arm andsaid valve, said trigger arm arranged to be moved by said wheels when inposition adjacent said arms and lubricant delivery fittings.

device for an overhead conveyor and wherein said spring means said bodyReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSClements July 17, 1956

